Empathy and Design Thinking: An In-Depth Visual Exploration

This assignment is a poster designed to address the question of what empathy is and why it is so important for design thinking. It highlights that empathy helps designers build a connection with their customers, understand user experiences, and create user-friendly products. Empathy is defined as understanding and being aware of others' experiences and thoughts. The poster emphasizes empathy as the starting point for any design project, encouraging designers to spend time understanding customer requirements and objectives. It references academic literature to support its points, emphasizing the psychological and emotional understanding that empathy brings to the design process. The references include various articles and publications that elaborate on the role of design in competitiveness, the link between design thinking and innovation, and the importance of empathy in creating knowledge and sense.

“Design Thinking”
Empathy can be defined as “the act of
understanding and being aware of the
experience and thoughts of other.
 It is done without having feelings,
thoughts and experience fully
communicated in a proper manner”
(Gasparini, 2015).
What is Empathy
and why it is
important?
Helps the designers to build empathy for
their customers.
To know that how the users feel when
they interact with a particular product or
interface (Ughanwa & Baker, 2018).
To build empathy, the designers create
the products which help the users and
make the lives simple.
(Elsbach & Stigliani,2018).
Empathy is known as the starting point
for any project.
The designers focus on spending time
that assists to know the customers and their
requirements and objectives (Liedtka,
2015).
This engages the individuals to have
proper understanding of the psychological
and emotional level (Köppen & Meinel,
2015).
References:
•Ughanwa, D. O., & Baker, M. J. (2018). The role of design in international competitiveness. Routledge.
•Elsbach, K. D., & Stigliani, I. (2018). Design Thinking and Organizational Culture: A Review and
Framework for Future Research. Journal of Management, 44(6), 2274- 2306.
•Liedtka, J. (2015). Perspective: Linking design thinking with innovation outcomes through cognitive bias
reduction. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 32(6), 925-938.
•Gasparini, A. (2015, February). Perspective and use of empathy in design thinking. In ACHI, The
Eight International Conference on Advances in Computer-Human Interactions(pp. 49-54).
•Köppen, E., & Meinel, C. (2015). Empathy via design thinking: creation of sense and knowledge. In Design
thinking research(pp. 15-28). Springer, Cham.
•Clair,G. (2019). 4 Principles of Design Thinking as a Strategy for Innovation. Retrieved from:
https://majordigital.com/news/4-principles-of-design-thinking-as-a-strategy-for-innovation
•Central for global education.(2019). #GlobalEdChat: Design Thinking. Retrieved from:https
https://asiasociety.org/education/events/globaledchat-design-thinking
•Friedlander,J.(2019). The Sustainable Tactics You Don’t Know, But Should. Retrieved from:
•https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/the-sustainable-tactics-you-dont-know-but-should/
Why it is so
important for design
thinking?
Where empathy fits in
the process of design
thinking ?
SOURCE: Clair, 2019.
Source: Central for global education, 2019.
SOURCE: Friedlander, 2019.

• Ughanwa, D. O., & Baker, M. J. (2018). The role of design in
international competitiveness. Routledge.
• Elsbach, K. D., & Stigliani, I. (2018). Design Thinking and
Organizational Culture: A Review and Framework for Future
Research. Journal of Management, 44(6), 2274-2306.
• Liedtka, J. (2015). Perspective: Linking design thinking with
innovation outcomes through cognitive bias reduction. Journal
of Product Innovation Management, 32(6), 925-938.
• Gasparini, A. (2015, February). Perspective and use of
empathy in design thinking. In ACHI, The Eight
International Conference on Advances in Computer-Human
Interactions(pp. 49-54).
• Köppen, E., & Meinel, C. (2015). Empathy via design thinking:
creation of sense and knowledge. In Design thinking
research(pp. 15-28). Springer, Cham.
• Clair,G. (2019). 4 Principles of Design Thinking as a Strategy for
Innovation. Retrieved from:https://majordigital.com/news/4-
principles-of-design-thinking-as-a-strategy-for-innovation
• Central for global education.(2019). #GlobalEdChat: Design
Thinking. Retrieved from:https
https://asiasociety.org/education/events/globaledchat-design-
thinking
• Friedlander,J.(2019). The Sustainable Tactics You Don’t Know, But
Should. Retrieved from:
• https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/the-sustainable-tactics-you-
dont-know-but-should/